ABSTRACT
This chapter explains what people think happens when children are exposed to music. It begins with a brief definition of music, followed by a review of the three fields of inquiry with which are most familiar: biology, with its exploration of relations between music and the brain and psychology with its emphasis on the development of musical skills and knowledge. It also includes psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic, and psychobiographical studies of music and musicians. The chapter presents a better understanding of the role of music in organizing childhood experience. The combination of and interaction between deepest regression and highly developed organization makes music a unique experience. The question of cerebral dominance has attracted considerable attention in musical circles. Like the early play of children, the early musical expression of children offers an unusual opportunity to study the cognitive functions of children before they experience the homogenizing effect of formal education.
